No matter how hard you try….

So lets get to work! We’re not talking resolutions, here, we’re talking re-programming behaviors, getting educated, living it, and paying it forward to your friends and families….

WE HAVE OUR WORK CUT OUT FOR US…. One of my favorite sayings is, “how you do something is how you do everything.” We are intense creatures of habit, and not only are our habits ours, they are usually shared with those who we associate with, so from a social perspective, changing habits becomes very challenging. That is why I have established the Muffintop Makeover Healthy Living Book Club…. It allows you to get your friends and family on board with adopting healthier habits, which makes your journey much easier and more enjoyable. Think book club, recipe club, support group, exercise club, all in one….for more details check out last weeks post (The Sixth Day of Christmas).

My friends and I put this into action last year and here is what we did:

We sent out invitations and invited our friends to join our new group. We met for coffee and discussed a monthly meeting time – one evening per month where we would discuss the book of the month and sample and share healthy recipes. We also outlined all exercise activities in the area and set up a shared calendar for the group to use as a reference. We planned fun, “out of the box” activities, such as booking private kickboxing lessons for our group, hikes, outings, movie nights (Food Inc., etc) etc. We set basic, doable goals and made commitments to each other to stick to our goals. We had online communication going weekly, sharing recipes, stories, challenges, and support.

THIS IS A POWERFUL MODEL FOR SUCCESS

As a nutrition coach, I cannot begin to tell you how powerful the group thing is….solo success is possible, but group success is inevitable….join in solo, as a group, or as a family!

Here is what you need to get started in month one….

1) Download the Healthy Living Book Club Invitation and Getting Started Document from our facebook fan page…www.facebook.com/muffintopmakeover. (will be up first week of January) Be sure to “like” our page, because daily announcements for the club will be posted there.

2) Invite friends to meet to discuss details for your group. Make it fun, get creative, because we will be giving prizes to groups for creativity, success stories, and more…

3) Post your club name and details on this site so we can follow you! Share your stories, adventures, and ideas…pictures and videos, too!

Our healthy living book club will feature monthly books, and the authors will be invited to guest blog and participate. There will be suggested recipes, blog sharing, educational articles, and more. We will also have a quarterly award for our Muffintop Makeover Challenge winners, based on nominations by your group or family.

I suggest having your monthly meeting towards the end of the month, so the group has time to read the book and try the recipes….

That’s it, simple and fun!

If you know of anyone who you think would like to participate, please share…..I look forward to helping you get healthy in 2012! Oh, and be sure to subscribe to the right if you haven’t already!